Hello everyone, I've got a particular design that is a devil for arriving with all it's nooks and crannys jammed up with the abrasive grit used for polishing the stainless steel. There's a picture attached, this is a ring (for scale).

I don't really know what the material is, I can't decide if it's a mineral or something like a fibrous nut shell. I want to get rid of it, so I'd love to know if anyone has a method of softening it in water so it can be brushed out, or if it's really just a matter of sitting, breaking pin after pin trying to lever the bits out. It gets jammed in pretty hard. I've tried a dremel with a stainless steel wire brush, but it doesn't get the job done.

Looks like it's the plastic/ceramic media. The other final polishing media is ground corn cob impregnated with red rouge. Soaking in water will not help. The best way to get it out is by what you are already doing. You might want to try a sturdier tool like a scribing needle or a dental probe. Or a good size sewing needle will work too. I know this is a real pain in the arse but it's the only reasonable way to get the gunk out. The finishing techs try their best to clean all parts but some things do get past them.

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci

I haven't ever been able to decide what the grit is made of, so (this might sound peculiar), but I managed to catch a bit and tried biting it, and it seems soft, fibrous rather than hard like sand, so I'm inclined to think it's the husk rather than the ceramic. I'll try soaking it. If nothing else it might lubricate it's exit while I brush it. If it is the husk (cellulose?), I wonder if I could dissolve it in something (er.. cellulose solvent?).

It also doesn't taste very special. I must have another gin and tonic to cover it up.

Xmas rush in the finishing room might have let a few dirty parts go out the door. Find a jewelers or machinist supply and get yourself a scribe with a slender hardened point. Dental picks are handy too. It is also possible to burn the media off but you risk scorching the part and making a bigger mess.

-G

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci

we've got a couple hundred rings filled with the stuff and have been using T-pins to remove from tiny holes. works pretty well. It's a bit of a pain but I appreciate that the pieces seem better polished as of late so it's a trade off we can agree to

I've only had it in parts that have particular sized crevices and holes (just the right size to trap the grit), and even then, it's mostly only ever been two or three bits of abrasive. The batch that is in the pic at the top was unusually gritty. On balance, I'd prefer to have to pick the grit out than to not be able to make the design, so it's still a win.